Multiple early factors anticipate post-acute COVID-19 sequelae.

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) represent an emerging global crisis. However, quantifiable risk factors for PASC and their biological associations are poorly resolved. We executed a deep multi-omic, longitudinal investigation of 309 COVID-19 patients from initial diagnosis to convalescence (2-3 months later), integrated with clinical data and patient-reported symptoms. We resolved four PASC-anticipating risk factors at the time of initial COVID-19 diagnosis: type 2 diabetes, SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia, Epstein-Barr virus viremia, and specific auto-antibodies. In patients with gastrointestinal PASC, SARS-CoV-2-specific and CMV-specific CD8+ T cells exhibited unique dynamics during recovery from COVID-19. Analysis of symptom-associated immunological signatures revealed coordinated immunity polarization into four endotypes, exhibiting divergent acute severity and PASC. We find that immunological associations between PASC factors diminish over time, leading to distinct convalescent immune states. Detectability of most PASC factors at COVID-19 diagnosis emphasizes the importance of early disease measurements for understanding emergent chronic conditions and suggests PASC treatment strategies.

Laser-Induced Graphene: Highly Efficient and Rapid Inactivation of Coronavirus on Non-Metal Hydrophobic Laser-Induced Graphene in Mild Conditions (Adv. Funct. Mater. 24/2021)

In article number 2101195 Chao Shen, Ben Zhong Tang, Ruquan Ye, and co-workers report a hydrophobic laser-induced graphene (HLIG) that enables effective inactivation of coronavirus in mild conditions from the synergy of photothermal effect and hydrophobicity. The non-metal HLIG achieves a 97.5% and 95% virucidal efficacy for HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-229E in 15 min under low-grade energy usage. Additionally, the low cytotoxicity and high stability of HLIG further make it a powerful material for disinfection.

Multi-Omics Resolves a Sharp Disease-State Shift between Mild and Moderate COVID-19.

We present an integrated analysis of the clinical measurements, immune cells, and plasma multi-omics of 139 COVID-19 patients representing all levels of disease severity, from serial blood draws collected during the first week of infection following diagnosis. We identify a major shift between mild and moderate disease, at which point elevated inflammatory signaling is accompanied by the loss of specific classes of metabolites and metabolic processes. Within this stressed plasma environment at moderate disease, multiple unusual immune cell phenotypes emerge and amplify with increasing disease severity. We condensed over 120,000 immune features into a single axis to capture how different immune cell classes coordinate in response to SARS-CoV-2. This immune-response axis independently aligns with the major plasma composition changes, with clinical metrics of blood clotting, and with the sharp transition between mild and moderate disease. This study suggests that moderate disease may provide the most effective setting for therapeutic intervention.

Association between supportive attitudes and adoptive practice of control strategy against COVID-19 among college students in China, a cross-sectional study (preprint)

Background: This study aimed to explore college students’ attitudes and compliance toward the prevention strategy of using non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in containing coronavirus disease 2019. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in four universities in Guangdong Province (China) based on purposive sampling. We used a self-made questionnaire to measure the supportive attitude towards outbreak control strategy and adoption of NPIs in respondents. Results: A total of 44,446 college students participated between 31 January and 10 February 2020; 92.7% of respondents supported the outbreak control strategy. 94.8% would avoid public places, 92.8% would wear a facemask, 91.2% would avoid of gatherings and 86.9% would wash hands more frequent. 76.5% respondents adopted all four measures. Supportive attitude was associated with NPI adoption. Students who were female, postgraduate, anxious, and not depressed tended to have higher supportive attitude and higher NPI adoption rate. Conclusions: Higher supportiveness towards the disease control strategy for public may lead to higher adoption rate of NPIs for individuals. Psychosocial factors are related to supportive attitude and adoption of the NPIs. We believe that our findings are instructive about the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases like COVID-19.

A valid protective immune response elicited in rhesus macaques by an inactivated vaccine is capable of defending against SARS-CoV-2 infection (preprint)

With the relatively serious global epidemic outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection, public concerns focus on not only clinical therapeutic measures and public quarantine for this disease but also the development of vaccines. The technical design of our SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine provides a viral antigen that enables the exposure of more than one structural protein based upon the antibody composition of COVID-19 patients convalescent serum. This design led to valid immunity with increasing neutralizing antibody titers and a CTL response detected post-immunization of this vaccine by two injections in rhesus macaques. Further, this elicited immunoprotection in macaques enables not only to restrain completely viral replication in tissues of immunized animals, compared to the adjuvant control and those immunized by an RBD peptide vaccine, but also to significantly alleviate inflammatory lesion in lung tissues in histo-pathologic detection, compared to the adjuvant control with developed interstitial pneumonia. The data obtained from these macaques immunized with the inactivated vaccine or RBD peptide vaccine suggest that immunity with a clinically protective effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection should include not only specific neutralizing antibodies but also specific CTL responses against at least the S and N antigens.